Footwear pouch assemblies

ABSTRACT

A protective boot pouch assembly that may be installed onto a pair of boots or any suitable footwear, where the pouch is installed along the length of the shaft and secured at the bottom, to protect the footwear against insect infestations (such as by preventing insects from entering the footwear) and weather elements during storage.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/014,356 entitled “Spiders Out Boot Snout,” which was filed on Apr. 23, 2020. The complete disclosure of the above application is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to protective pouches that may be assembled onto a pair of boots, along the length of the boot shaft, to protect the boots against insect infestations and weather elements when storing the boots either indoor or outdoor.

Due to the large opening in footwear, when footwear is stored both indoors and outdoors, it may be susceptible to insects climbing inside the shoes, boots, etc. Spiders and other insects can infest the footwear and leave it unwearable. Further, the wearer experiences shock and unpleasantness upon discovery of infestation, often when attempting to wear the shoe. Boots stored outdoors can also be susceptible to inclement weather causing damage to the footwear. This often occurs when boots used for yardwork or gardening are stored outside, as the boot exterior is often too dirty after use to be stored indoors.

What is desired, therefore, is an adjustable protective covering that functions as a pouch or covering for the footwear, so that the user may install the pouch over any desired boot or footwear, and prolong the storage period.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example to the accompanying drawings, which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of the invention installed on a pair of footwear;

FIG. 2 shows a close up view of the example of FIG. 1 prior to installation on a pair of footwear.

FIG. 3 shows the example of FIG. 1 being installed onto a pair of footwear;

FIG. 4 shows a close up view of the bottom detail of the example of FIG. 1 when installed onto a pair of footwear; and

FIG. 5 shows a close up view of the bottom detail of the example of FIG. 1 when installed onto a pair of footwear with the drawstrings secured and tightened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, an illustrative example of a boot or footwear pouch assembly is shown. The pouch assembly may include a thin, nylon, water-resistant sleeve that protects the opening of shoes, boots, and more. The sleeve helps prevent insect infestations from ruining footwear during storage, such as by preventing insects from entering the openings of the shoes.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the device comprises two sleeves 102A, 102B, where the sleeves may be connected with a band or drawstring 110. The pair of sleeves 102A, 102B may each include a bottom 112 opening, where the bottom opening 112 has a dimension that is generally larger than that of the top 204 and bottom portion 206 of the footwear, so that the lower portion of the sleeve may be initially slipped over the top of the footwear and adjusted downwards, to reach the bottom portion 206 of the footwear. The sleeves 102A, 102B may also include a length 104, where the length generally corresponds with the length of the boot shaft 202.

In a preferred embodiment, the top portion 108 of each sleeve may be larger in dimension than the top portion 204 of the footwear, such that the top portion of the sleeve may fit over the top portion 204 of the footwear. At the distal end of the top portion 108, the sleeve may include a top cover 106, so as to prevent insects, dust, and other undesirable elements from entering the footwear. The assembly may include a string 110 that may connect the sleeves 102A, 1028 to one another, where the length of the string may be long enough so that the footwear has enough space to be stored in an upright orientation with the sleeves covering the openings, such as the upright, side-by-side orientation shown in FIG. 1 where the pair of footwear is contact with each other. In some embodiments, the length of the string may be only about 1-2 inches over the minimum length required to allow the sleeves to cover the openings with the footwear in the upright, side-by-side orientation, such as shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the string may be elastic. The location of the string may be anywhere along the pouch, long as it is feasible to connect the two sleeves and prevent loss of either sleeve over time.

As shown in FIGS. 4-5, once the sleeves are slid over a pair of footwear, such that the bottom opening 112 of the sleeves sit around the bottom portion 206 of the footwear, the bottom opening 112 of the sleeve may be tightened with a second drawstring 114 together with an adjuster 116. In a preferred embodiment, the adjuster 116 may have a locking mechanism, so as to secure the string length once properly adjusted to match the dimensions of the bottom portion of the footwear. Once appropriately tightened by the adjuster 116, the opening will close over the footwear and secure the footwear, preventing insects or other particles and weather elements from entry into the foot opening. The dimensions and design specifications of the sleeves may vary upon development and manufacturing.

The material of the first and second drawstring may be any type of artificial or natural fiber, as long as practical. In some embodiments, the material forming the sleeves may be nylon, or any water-resistant material that is sufficiently thin. The adjuster may be any type of water-resistant material, such as plastic, or metal with a water-proof coating.

The footwear pouch assemblies of the present disclosure may be referred to as SPIDERS OUT BOOT POUCHES™ or the like. In some embodiments, the footwear pouch assemblies include only the components described above to the exclusion of other components and/or structures. For example, some embodiments of the footwear pouch assemblies of the present disclosure may include only the pair of pouches and the drawstring that connects the pair of pouches to the exclusion of other components and/or structures. In those embodiments, the pair of pouches may include only the sleeves, drawstring and adjuster (or locking mechanism) to constrict the opening in the pouches to the exclusion of other components and/or structures.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment that has been described, and that variations may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appending claims, as interpreted in accordance with principles of prevailing law, including the doctrine of equivalents or any other principle that enlarges the enforceable scope of a claim beyond its literal scope. Unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference in a claim to the number of instances of an element, be it a reference to one instance or more than one instance, requires at least the stated number of instances of the element but is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim a structure or method having more instances of that element than stated. The word “comprise” or a derivative thereof, when used in a claim, is used in a nonexclusive sense that is not intended to exclude the presence of other elements or steps in a claimed structure or method. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A footwear pouch assembly for a pair of footwear each having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a shaft having a length and between the top and bottom portions, the footwear pouch assembly comprising: (a) a pair of pouches each having a top portion, a bottom opening, a length between the top portion and bottom opening, and a top cover at the distal edge of the top portion, the top cover having dimensions equal to the circumference of the top portion distal end and larger than the top portion of the footwear, and the length of the pouch is similar to the length of the shaft of the footwear; (b) a closing assembly along the bottom opening of each of the pair of pouches, the closing assembly including a first drawstring having a length slightly greater than the circumference of the bottom opening, and an adjuster configured to tighten the first drawstring around the bottom portion of the footwear; and (c) a second drawstring connecting the pouches and having a length sufficient to allow the footwear to be stored in an upright, side-by-side orientation.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pouch is constructed from nylon.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjuster includes a locking mechanism.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein upon locking the closing assembly, the dimensions of the drawstring will correspond to the bottom portion of the footwear.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjuster is constructed from plastic. 